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FTX and Alameda transfers another $22M worth of crypto asset

Following their most recent move, FTX and Alameda Research have transferred another significant amount of digital assets, amounting to an impressive $22 million.

Blockchain analysis firm Lookonchain reported that cryptocurrency powerhouses FTX and Alameda Research are actively engaged in a substantial transfer of digital assets, amounting to an impressive $22 million.

Following their bankruptcy declaration, FTX and Alameda Research have actively maneuvered in cryptocurrency, another bouquet of digital assets, transferring significant amounts to prominent exchanges.

In their most recent move, a transfer of $10.8 million transpired on platforms such as Wintermute, Binance, and Coinbase. The latest transfer of $10.8 million was spread across eight tokens: $2.58 million in StepN’s GMT, $2.41 million in Uniswap’s UNI, $2.25 million in Synapse’s SYN, $1.64 million in Klaytn’s KLAY, $1.18 million in Fantom’s FTM, $644,000 in Shiba Inu’s SHIB and small amounts of Arbitrum’s ARB and Optimism’s OP.

On Oct. 24, the FTX and Alameda wallets transferred $10 million to a single wallet address, which was later redistributed to Binance and Coinbase accounts.

Report: Ex-FTX execs team up to build new crypto exchange 12 months after FTX collapse: Report

The opening chords of this financial composition sounded in March 2023, orchestrating a skillful transfer of $145 million in stablecoins to platforms including Coinbase, Binance, and Kraken.

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Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

Celsius faces hurdle as judge hints at new vote for Bitcoin mining shift

Judge Martin Glenn reportedly said that the proposed transformation into a Bitcoin mining business deviates significantly from the deal creditors initially voted on.

Celsius Network, a cryptocurrency lending platform, might need to secure a fresh vote from creditors for its planned shift to a Bitcoin mining venture, as a U.S.

The crypto lender provided details on Thursday, Nov 30, of its plan to only mine Bitcoin when it emerges from bankruptcy, a scaled-down business that reflects guidance from regulators.

According to a report, Judge Martin Glenn, responsible for Celsius Network’s Chapter 11 proceedings, voiced displeasure on Thursday, Nov 30, regarding the abrupt change, emphasizing his repeated advisories to Celsius about the importance of reaching an agreement with the SEC.

Judge Glenn reportedly highlighted that the proposed transformation into a Bitcoin mining business deviates significantly from the deal creditors initially voted on, potentially encountering considerable resistance from creditors.

Celsius recently announced a scaled-back post-bankruptcy strategy, narrowing its focus to Bitcoin mining due to the U.S.

Celsius attorney Chris Koenig reportedly contended during Thursday’s hearing that the court-approved bankruptcy plan allowed the company the flexibility to shift to a mining-exclusive business.

As per the report, two customers, proceeding without legal representation, expressed dissent toward the agreement in the court documents, contending that Celsius should undergo complete liquidation instead.

Related: Celsius grants access to withdrawals for eligible crypto holders

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Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

Bankruptcy Court Declares FTX Debtors Can Begin To Sell $744,000,000 Worth of Grayscale and Bitwise Shares

Bankruptcy Court Declares FTX Debtors Can Begin To Sell 4,000,000 Worth of Grayscale and Bitwise Shares

A bankruptcy court is ruling that debtors of bankrupt crypto exchange FTX can begin selling hundreds of millions of dollars worth of Grayscale and Bitwise shares. In a new filing, a court in Delaware is granting a motion filed earlier this month that would allow the debtors of FTX and its affiliates to start selling […]

The post Bankruptcy Court Declares FTX Debtors Can Begin To Sell $744,000,000 Worth of Grayscale and Bitwise Shares appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

Celsius grants access to withdrawals for eligible crypto holders

Eligible participants can withdraw 72.5% of their cryptocurrency holdings, subject to transaction fees reducing the total.

Celsius, the cryptocurrency lending platform that declared bankruptcy in July 2022, has initiated withdrawals for select users. This development signifies a crucial juncture for the company and its clients amid financial instability and legal issues.

According to the filing, participants in the Custody Program falling under “Class 6A General Custody Claims” and “Class 6B Withdrawable Custody Claims” are now eligible for fund withdrawals, with a deadline set by the platform for these transactions until Feb. 28, 2024.

Eligible participants can withdraw 72.5% of their cryptocurrency holdings, subject to transaction fees reducing the total. Customers who opposed the reorganization plan are excluded from this opportunity. Instead, a Litigation Administrator will handle their assets independently for a duration of six months.

Celsius has encountered numerous challenges on its journey to this stage. Following its bankruptcy filing last summer, the platform navigated various legal obstacles. In March, a settlement plan was endorsed, pledging deposit account holders 72.5% of their funds in two installments throughout 2023.

Related: Zipmex proposes to pay creditors 3 cents per dollar

In a subsequent update, creditors’ approval of the company’s reorganization plan in Sept. paved the way to distribute around $2 billion in Bitcoin and Ether. The company’s equity will be transferred to NewCo, overseen by the Fahrenheit consortium. In a Nov. 20 announcement, Celsius said the core business of the “NewCo” company proposed under its restructuring plan will be Bitcoin mining rather than staking.

Celsius has been maneuvering through bankruptcy proceedings and legal challenges from multiple regulatory entities. The SEC, FTC, and CFTC filed lawsuits against the company and its CEO, Alex Mashinsky, primarily centered on accusations of customer deception. Although Celsius reached a settlement of $4.7 billion with the FTC, Mashinsky is set to undergo a criminal trial in the upcoming fall.

Magazine: Crypto’s ‘pro-rioter’ glitch artist stirs controversy — Patrick Amadon, NFT Creator

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

3AC co-founder Kyle Davies spotted in Bali, sources claim

Sources claim that 3AC co-founder Kyle Davies has been based in Bali for months as he continues to evade Singaporean authorities over the collapse of his failed hedge fund.

Three Arrows Capital (3AC) co-founder Kyle Davies has reportedly been seen in Bali as he continues to evade authorities over the collapse of the defunct hedge fund.

Davies, who has been embroiled in bankruptcy proceedings following the collapse of 3AC in 2022, has already been sentenced to four months in jail in Singapore for failing to cooperate with investigations into its bankruptcy.

An anonymous source provided Cointelegraph with images that purportedly show Davies with an unknown woman at the Milk and Madu cafe in Canggu, Bali on Nov. 8. Furthermore, separate sources involved with ongoing bankruptcy proceedings in Singapore have confirmed that the 3AC co-founder is based in the Indonesian province. 

The images, which have been withheld from publication, bear a stark resemblance to several photographs that Davies has posted online over the past two years. 

The witness claims that Davies looks “alive, well and happy” and attempted to conceal his visage once he suspected he may have been recognized. The images supplied showed Davies in a signature pink collared shirt and sunglasses.

“It is 100% him. From the shirt and glasses, I also saw him firsthand without the glasses. He then put the glasses on when he felt we “recognized” him and continued to put the glasses on until we left the place and took this from the cashier's point of view," the source told Cointelegraph.

Davies’ co-founder Su Zhu was arrested in Singapore on Sept. 29 as he attempted to flee the country, after 3AC liquidator Teneo had secured a civil court order that committed both founders to prison earlier in the month.

The New York Times reported that the pair had spent months in Bali instead of cooperating with bankruptcy proceedings in the United States and Singapore.

Cointelegraph's source involved in the ongoing case in Singapore said that Davies' detention depends on the cooperation of Bali authorities. 

Davies has since successfully evaded contempt charges in the U.S. over the bankruptcy case in the country, having renounced his American citizenship in 2022 following his marriage to a Singaporean national and taking up citizenship in the country.

Judge Martin Glenn of the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Southern District of New York ruled that the court could not “exercise jurisdiction over Mr. Davies” following evidence presented by Davies’ legal representatives that proved he was no longer an American citizen.

The judge hinted that the foreign representatives could consider compelling Davies’ compliance through Singaporean courts. He denied the contempt motion and said the U.S. court could largely not “exercise jurisdiction over Mr. Davies.”

Davies' pending arrest and four-month sentence in Singapore is a result of a committal order secured by Teneo for contempt of court.

Magazine: Exclusive: 2 years after John McAfee’s death, widow Janice is broke and needs answers

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

FTX, BlockFi claims settlement allowed to proceed, judge declares

A U.S. bankruptcy court judge has ordered the end of an automatic holding placed on claims settlement proceedings between the two bankrupt crypto companies FTX and BlockFi.

Bankrupt crypto companies FTX and BlockFi have been allowed to proceed in negotiations for their claims settlement, according to a new court filing.

On Nov. 13, United States bankruptcy judge Michael Kaplan ordered the end of an automatic holding placed on proceedings between the two firms. FTX debtors can now pursue their "arguments, defenses, counterclaims, setoffs, or otherwise” concerning the BlockFi claims in the FTX bankruptcy proceeding.

Both entities filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy status in November of 2022, after the implosion of FTX at the beginning of that month. BlockFi is estimated to have had around $355 million in funds frozen on the FTX platform, with an additional $671 million owed by Alameda Research.

The order also said that FTX debtors would have no right to “receive an affirmative distribution from the BlockFi Debtors” and that both parties should file a mediation with the Delaware Bankruptcy court as soon as possible.

Once such a mediation is filed, mediation will begin “no later” than Dec. 24, 2023.

Related: Sam Bankman-Fried’s legal team moves to pursue theory on FTX terms of service

The CEO of BlockFi, Zac Prince, testified against Sam Bankman-Fried, the former CEO of FTX, during his five-week criminal trial in which he was found guilty on all seven counts.

Prince and the BlockFi team presented evidence on Oct. 13 that had FTX not gone under, BlockFi would not have had to file for bankruptcy, regardless of the ongoing bear market conditions. The company lost “a little over a billion dollars."

BlockFi was allowed by the court in August to repay U.S.-based Wallet customers, though at the time withdrawals were not permitted. Shortly after, in September, BlockFi creditors approved a bankruptcy restructuring plan, which was then approved by the court on Sept. 26.

On Oct. 24, BlockFi released a blog post saying it will begin to pay back some of its creditors and that withdrawals “are currently available to nearly all Wallet customers.”

Magazine: Exclusive: 2 years after John McAfee’s death, widow Janice is broke and needs answers

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

FTX files billion-dollar lawsuit against ByBit over asset withdrawals

The legal action is pursuing “compensatory and punitive damages” from ByBit regarding the token scheme and the assets held on its platform.

The FTX bankruptcy estate, headed by CEO John J. Ray III, has filed a lawsuit against ByBit, its investment arm Mirana, and various executives. The aim is to recover funds and digital assets that ByBit withdrew from FTX just before its collapse, with the current value close to $1 billion.

The suit claims ByBit used its “VIP” access and ties with FTX staff to withdraw significant cash and digital assets from Mirana, Time Research (another entity linked to ByBit), and executives just before FTX’s collapse.

During FTX’s November 2022 withdrawal difficulties, FTX employees tracked VIP customers’ withdrawal requests in a spreadsheet labeled "VIP Request – Prioritize (Settlement).” The lawsuit alleges that FTX’s settlement team went to great lengths to prioritize Mirana’s significant withdrawals, resulting in over $327 million in transfers to Mirana. The total value of assets withdrawn by ByBit and its executives from FTX has now reportedly reached almost $1 billion.

Screenshot of the FTX lawsuit against ByBit.            Source: Kroll

The lawsuit claims that ByBit has imposed limitations on the FTX estate, preventing the withdrawal of assets exceeding $125 million on the ByBit exchange. Allegedly, ByBit is using these assets as leverage to seek recovery for a remaining balance of $20 million that it could not withdraw from FTX before its collapse.

The lawsuit claims that in October 2021, a ByBit executive privately revealed to FTX that the company controlled BitDAO, now known as Mantle, despite presenting BitDAO as a decentralized organization run by community members. Then, in May 2023, ByBit approached the FTX bankruptcy estate about reversing the transaction, even though the value of the BIT tokens, approximately $50 million at the time, far outweighed the value of the FTT tokens, approximately $4 million at the time.

After FTX rejected the “illogical proposal,” BitDAO swiftly rebranded as Mantle, introducing MNT tokens for BIT holders to convert at a 1:1 ratio. As FTX began its conversion, BitDAO allegedly disabled it and held a “community vote” to decide on restricting FTX from converting its tokens.

Related: Ex-FTX execs team up to build new crypto exchange 12 months after FTX collapse: Report

According to the lawsuit, FTX informed ByBit that the action violated the automatic stay in Chapter 11 bankruptcy. Despite this, the “community vote” passed, with votes seemingly linked to ByBit executives. Notably, the fifth-largest vote came from the wallet “dtoh.eth,” identified as Mirana Ventures, a Mirana subsidiary led by David Toh.

The legal action is pursuing “compensatory and punitive damages” from ByBit regarding the token scheme and the assets held on its platform.

Magazine: Deposit risk: What do crypto exchanges really do with your money?

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

Hodlnaut heading for liquidation after failure of restructuring, sale efforts

Recovery from the crypto winter is proceeding, but Hodlnaut won’t survive it. A sealed court order in Singapore appears to spell its doom.

Crypto lender Hodlnaut’s days appear to be numbered after the High Court of Singapore ended judicial management and ordered its liquidation. Users’ funds have been frozen since August 2022. 

Former Hodlnaut interim judicial manager (IJM) Aaron Loh Cheng Lee announced in a letter dated Nov. 10 and posted on the website of EY that he and fellow IJM Ee Meng Yen Angela have been discharged from that position and appointed liquidators.

Aaron Lee's letter of Nov. 10. Source: EY

The liquidation decision was made by the Singapore court in a Winding-up Order in response to their application. According to an attachment to Lee’s letter, that decision is sealed at the moment.

Singapore-based Hodlnaut suspended deposits and withdrawals and simultaneously withdrew its licensing application before the Monetary Authority of Singapore on August 8, 2022. The company attributed its decision to “recent market conditions.” According to Lee’s letter, Hodlnaut’s creditors include 17,000 users. Major creditors included Samtrade Custodian, S.A.M. Fintech and the Algorand Foundation.

Related: Algorand Foundation outlines $35M exposure to crypto lender Hodlnaut

Hodlnaut was apparently a victim of the systemic turmoil that struck the industry with the collapse of the Terra ecosystem and Three Arrows Capital (3AC). It did not have exposure to 3AC, but reportedly held around $150 million in Terra stablecoin, since renamed TerraUSD Classic (USTC), at some time. It later took another financial hit with the collapse of FTX.

Hodlnaut avoided forced liquidation by applying for and receiving court-appointed IJMs. It subsequentlyreceived creditor protection and cut its staff by 80%. It also reportedly faced a police investigation of a delay in its reporting of its USTC holdings.

Creditors rejected a restructuring plan in January and voted overwhelmingly for liquidation in April. OPNX, founded by former 3AC founders Su Zhu and Kyle Davies, among others, offered $30 million worth of its FLEX token for a 75% share in Hodlnaut in August 2023, but that offer was rejected by the IJMs the following month after the value of FLEX plummeted by 90%.

A U.S. court approved the bankruptcy plan of crypto lender Celsius on Nov. 9.

Magazine: 3AC fugitives in disarray as OPNX faces new peril: Asia Express

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

Court confirms Celsius bankruptcy exit plan, $2B in crypto to go to creditors

The decision ends the complex case with a creditor-approved plan that will see their partial reimbursement and make them shareholders in a new company.

The Celsius bankruptcy plan has been approved. The path is now clear for customers to see some of their funds returned and receive shares in the reorganized company, which will be called NewCo.

Judge Martin Glenn of the Southern District of New York Bankruptcy Court issued a confirmation on Nov. 9 of the bankruptcy plan approved by Celsius creditors overwhelmingly on Sept. 27. Under the plan, around $2 billion in Bitcoin (BTC) and Ether (ETH) will be redistributed to Celsius creditors along with equity in NewCo. The company has said it hoped to begin reimbursement of creditors by the end of the year.

Judge Martin Glenn's bankruptcy plan confirmation. Source: Stretto

Many of the Celsius creditors were participants in its Earn program, allowing them to earn weekly rewards by holding CEL token that were locked for a year. Judge Glenn wrote in his decision:

“Nothing in this Confirmation Order or the Plan constitutes a finding of the Court under any securities laws or otherwise as to whether CEL Token or the Earn Program are securities.”

The United States Securities and Exchange Commission has claimed similar programs are securities.

Related: Judge denies stakeholders’ request for representation in Celsius bankruptcy case

NewCo will expand existing mining operations of former crypto lender Celsius. It will also monetize illiquid Celsius assets and conduct other developmental activities, subject to regulatory approval.

NewCo will be managed by the Fahrenheit consortium, made up of several crypto-native persons and organizations. One of the consortium members is Proof Group, which is reportedly also bidding for FTX.

Celsius declared bankruptcy in July 2022. Its Celsius CEO Alex Mashinsky was arrested in July 2023 on charges of securities fraud, commodities fraud and wire fraud. He is expected to be tried in September 2024 and remains free on $40 million bail.

Former Celsius chief revenue officer Roni Cohen-Pavon pleaded guilty to fraud and price manipulationcharges and will be sentenced on Dec. 11.

Magazine: Tiffany Fong flames Celsius, FTX and NY Post: Hall of Flame

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi

BlockFi Says It Has Emerged From Bankruptcy, Kicks Off Wallet Withdrawals for Eligible Clients

BlockFi Says It Has Emerged From Bankruptcy, Kicks Off Wallet Withdrawals for Eligible Clients

A crypto lending platform that stopped customer withdrawals last year amid the FTX crisis says it will now be able to pay its creditors after emerging from bankruptcy. BlockFi filed for bankruptcy on November 28th, 2022 after sustaining big financial losses from the implosion of crypto exchange FTX, one of its top borrowers. Nearly a […]

The post BlockFi Says It Has Emerged From Bankruptcy, Kicks Off Wallet Withdrawals for Eligible Clients appeared first on The Daily Hodl.

Uniswap responds to SEC Wells notice: ‘We are ready to fight’ for DeFi